Washington DC:
Minutes into the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a verbal clash broke out between the two leaders at the Oval Office. In a loud and stern voice, President Trump told Me Zelensky that you “either make a deal or we are out”.
“You are in big trouble…you are not winning this,” he said.
President Zelensky responded in equal measure, saying that “We are in our own country, and we have stayed strong all this time. We have even thanked you for it (your support)”.
This led to an extraordinary shouting match between the two leaders as the international media watched in utter disbelief. “I’m afraid dealing this way is going to make things very difficult,” said President Trump as hopes for a peace deal in Ukraine hung in the balance.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country,” Donald Trump added.
The argument extended to the US Vice President as well, when Zelensky asked him not to “talk loudly”. US Vice President JD Vance told President Zelensky that “diplomacy was needed” to end the war, but Mr Zelensky hit back saying “what kind of diplomacy?” Mr Vance then accused him of being “disrespectful” in the president’s office.
Defending the Vice President, Donald Trump lashed out at President Zelensky saying “We have given you $350 billion, we gave you military equipment, and a lot of backing. If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.”
To this, President Zelensky immediately shot back, indirectly accusing Trump of speaking the same words as Putin. saying “yes-yes, wouldn’t have lasted two days – I heard that from Putin too,”